The standoff between U.S. President Donald Trump and the country’s media has entered a new phase, heightening tensions between the White House and the major television networks.
The Trump administration has launched “Trump TV,” an online platform that broadcasts 24 hours a day, after television networks suspended joint coverage of presidential activities.
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The broadcast began on Monday evening. According to the White House, the platform will feature important moments from the past, announcements and the latest developments from the Trump administration. The first content broadcast was a speech by the U.S. president delivered on July 3 at Mount Rushmore.
The decision to create “Trump TV” followed action by ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News and CNN, which make up the White House television pool, to halt joint coverage of the president’s activities. The networks responded after the administration denied CNN, MS NOW and Politico access to presidential premises.
In a joint statement, the media organizations said the public should be able to obtain accurate and independent information about the government’s activities. They also objected to the exclusion of a media organization because of the way it reports.
The conflict has now also reached the courts. CNN, MS NOW and Politico have sued Donald Trump and administration officials, seeking the restoration of their access to the White House. According to the three organizations, the ban violates rights guaranteed to them by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The New York Times and The Washington Post joined the media’s response by temporarily suspending the publication of photographs of the president taken by their own photographers.
Meanwhile, the White House continued to broadcast presidential activities through its own channels. The absence of the usual television crew created difficulties in covering the events. During one event, the noise from the Marine One helicopter made it difficult to hear Trump’s remarks in the broadcast provided by the White House.
Trump has supported his administration’s position, attacking media outlets he labels “fake news” and saying they should not have access to the White House.
The first hearing in the lawsuit filed by CNN, MS NOW and Politico will take place on Wednesday before Federal Judge Timothy Kelly. The case concerns media access to the White House and the claim that their exclusion violates the constitutional protection of freedom of the press.
